Gravity unloader



' c .-A. M'cDONALD.

GRAVITY UNLOADER. 'A-PPLICATION FILED own, 1920.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

INVENTOR. M

- A TTORNEYJ WITNESS.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. MCDONALD, OF DUBOIS, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAVITY UNLOAIJER.

Application filed December 27, 1920.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, CHaRLns A. M0 Domini), citizen of the United States, residing at 'Dubois, in the county of ()learficld and State of Pennsylvania,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity Unloaders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for unloading vehicles or other containers and it has for its object to provide a new and improved method and apparatus by means of which such unloading may be rapidly and effectively carried out with a minimum of labor and expense.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed de scription which follows.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of an. apparatus to be used in conjunction with the employment of the method;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of such apparatus; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of a removable power transmitting bar hereinafter described.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing,

It is to be understood that the apparatus shown in the accompanyingdrawing is merely explanatory. As this description proceeds, it will be seen that the principles involved are capable of being embodied in apparatus of widely varying types.

In the particular form of apparatus that I have chosen for purposes of explanation, the numerals 5 designate rails constituting a track way for the reception of wheels 6 of an inverted U frame comprising the horizontal upper cross bar 7, the vertical side posts 8, the horizontal base members 9 and thebraces 10 and 11.

The upper horizontal cross bar 7 carries a rail 12 which receives a trolley wheel 13 and this tr lley wheel carries a. hanger 14 to which the supporting blocks 15 of a pulley 16 are swiveled by stem 1'? and head 18. The pulley 16 cOnStitHteS one of the elements of a power lifting element, such as the con ventional chain hoist for example, the operating chain of which -is indicated at 18 This chain hoist is provided with the usual hook 19 at its lower end that is adapted to engage with lifting chains or cables 20 and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922. Serial No. 133,151.

21, these latter serving a purpose which will be presently set forth. Bodily travelling movement may be imparted. to the frame of inverted U shape upon the wheels 6 by anv desired mechanism. As a conventional means of imparting this movement to said trame, I have illustrated pinions 2 large gear wheels 23 with which said pinions mesh and racks 2 1 secured to the timbers 25 upon which the rails 5 are supported and with which the large gear wheels mesh. W'hen rotation is imparted to the pinions 22 by means of handles 26, it is manifest that bodily forward movement will be imparted to the frame.

In Fig 3 I have indicated a means for causing the shafts 27 of the pinions to rotate in unison. This is accomplished by providcross bar 28 that is angular in cross section (preferably square) and sliding sleeves 29 adapted to temporarily connect the cross bar 28 to the ends of the shafts 27 which are correspondingly angularly formed. This cross bar 28 and the sleeves 29 may be employed where there is no obstruction to prevent.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Assuming for example that it is desired to unload a. wagon body and to load the contents of the wagon body into a railroad car, the chains 20 and 21 will be engaged with the body to be unloaded, as indicated in Fig.

2 and the chain hoist will be employed to lift the body from the wagon, illustrated in dotted lines at A, in Fig. 1. to such a height that by moving the inverted U frame bodily by manipulation of the handles 26 one end of the container to be unloaded may be caused to project over the side of the car in dicated at B. The chain hoist will then be manipulated to bodily lower the container or wagon body until one end thereof rests upon the car. after which the chain 21 is released by a knockoff device of the conventional type indicated at 30. By then lifting the opposite end of the container through the medium of the chain hoist, said containor may be caused to discharge by gravity into the car.

By the provision of the swivel connection between the hanger ll and the chain hoist the objects lifted may be swung to varying angles and may be caused to approach the object to be loaded in parallelism therewith, 110 if desired.

The range of usefulness of this method or apparatus is almost beyond computation. It

is not only adapted to unload wagons, mine cars boxes and other containers into cars, bins and other containers through the open tops of the latter but it can bev used to pro ject one end of the container to be unloaded into a box car Window, door or through the Window or door of a building. The apparatus is also adapted to unload containers on to movable belts or other conveyers Wherever there is a suitable support for one end of the Container to be unloaded adjacent the point of discharge. 7

lVhile Ihave illustrated the U frame as being mountedlfor bodily movement it is to be understood that this frame may be stationary While still retaining some of the advantages of the invention. Wherever the conditions are such that the container to be unloaded may be moved to such a position as to be supported upon the container that is to receive the load, that is all that is necessary. Many modifications of the trackwayg grades, supporting frames, etc will readily suggest themselves to the engineer skilled.

in the conveying art and itis therefore to 'be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes Within its purview Whatever changes tairly come Within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described the combination With a supporting comprising an element of inverted U shape and a Wheeled mounting for the lower end of the same, the said mounting being so short that a Wagon body supported from the U shaped element will project beyond said mounting, of ahoist hung from the top of said inverted element and flexible members connected to said hoist for extending beneath a Wagon body uponopposite sides of the center, one of said flexible members being provided in its length with a knock-oft device.

2. A structure as recited in claim" 1 in combination with means for imparting traveling movement to the supporting frame longitudinally of the position occupied by the Wagon body in-disoharging the load. r

- In testimony whereof I hereunto aflixrmy' signature.

CHARLES McDONALD. 

